Our Pre-K students had a great time at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University. They prepared for their trip by reading “Matthew’s Dream” by Leo Lionni where they learned how to observe art and to see it in many different ways. Thank you to the Trumansburg Elementary School PTO for funding the book.

We’d like to share some photos from one of the class trips with you. The children had a great time with the collections and exhibits; and last but not least, the elevator ride was an exciting adventure! Be sure to put the Johnson Museum of Art on your list of summer vacation go-to destinations!

KIDS DISCOVER THE TRAIL TRUMANSBURG – a program of the TCSD Foundation in collaboration with the Discovery Trail and the Trumansburg Central School District. If you’d like to help us continue this program, please consider a donation.

Kids Discover the Trail: 19th Century Life in an Eight Square Schoolhouse

Our Trumansburg Grade 4 students learned about local history and how children lived prior to the Industrial Revolution by attending school for a day in a one room schoolhouse. Schoolmarms led classes in reading, art, spelling, math, science, penmanship, and geography. They also instructed students about pumping water, washing and drying hands, and playing recess games from 1892.

The students were well-prepared for their visit. We thank the Trumansburg Elementary PTO for funding the purchase of “The Secret School,” by Avi. We also thank our TCSD Foundation supporters for helping to sponsor this trip to the schoolhouse!

A picture is worth 1,000 words; and through these pictures, we hope you can imagine a bit of what our class “scholars” experienced during their visits! These photos are from several photographers and three of our classes. Thank you to all, and enjoy!

The TCSD Foundation supports the Kids Discover the Trail! program. If you’d like to help maintain this program, please consider a donation.

And finally, our T-burg Grade 3 students visited the Mundy Wildflower Garden at Cornell Botanic Gardens last week; and we’d like to share our pictures with you. The students had an amazing time taking what they had learned in the classroom into the garden; they had perfect weather conditions; and they discovered life-long skills about identifying wildflowers. They explored the flowers, learned about pollination, smelled skunk cabbage (see if you can spot those pictures), and one group even happened onto a snapping turtle!

Tompkins Weekly: Non-profit organizations are plentiful throughout Tompkins County, and make a big impact in our communities. Despite their contributions, area non-profits can sometimes go unnoticed or unknown. In an effort to shine a spotlight on those who are making a difference in our county, Tompkins Weekly will be showcasing these organizations on a regular basis.

This week we are highlighting the TCSD Foundation, an organization aimed at supporting the Trumansburg Central School District. To learn more about the organization, we interviewed Jen Wofford, president of the foundation.

KDT! Trumansburg is a collaboration of the TCSD Foundation, Discovery Trail, and Trumansburg Central School District to provide curriculum-based field trips to the eight sites of the Discovery Trail for Trumansburg Central School District students grades Pre-K through 6.

Last week instructors from CORNELL BOTANIC GARDENS (formerly called Cornell Plantations) visited each Grade 3 classroom and presented a lesson and hands-on activities to prepare the students for their upcoming field trip to the wildflower garden; and here are some pictures from those visits. Thank you to the Trumansburg PTO for funding their program book, “Wildflowers: A Peterson First Guide,” by Roger Tory Peterson; and to our Foundation donors for their support.

The Community Art Auction was a success! Thank you to everyone who donated, participated, bid on, and went home with some pretty wonderful artwork! The TCSD Foundation will put your donations to good use throughout the school district.

Like you and your family, we don’t just do one thing at a time! While we were busy with last-minute details for Friday night’s Community Art Auction, we found time to tag along with the Trumansburg kindergarten classes that were out on the Discovery Trail, visiting the Tompkins County Public Library. By the way, this field trip is a perfect example of where your donations go. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

The children also received their very own copy of the book, “The Interrupting Chicken,” by David Ezra; and we thank the Trumansburg Elementary PTO for providing the funding for that.

The TCSD Foundation will be hosting Kids’ QuizBowl at Atlas Bowl on Sunday, March 5, from 12:30 to 3:00 PM. There will be snacks, free bowling, and shoe rental for kids and parents, and a cash bar. No cover charge.